Through Curses Come the Truth
by Daisydoodle820
Summary: Summary: Through cursing, Adrien finds out Ladybug's identity. Rated T for cursing.


Author's note: (feel free to skip).

Hey y'all! I've been posting a bunch of my old stuff I'm finishing up and this is like the third this week! You'll probably find a few more in the coming weeks. I wrote the second part of the author's note around last Christmas when my grandparents visited but it still stands. I haven't watched most of the new stuff so this is still going off season two. Oops.

The main phrase here is "Dammit the Shit" because my grandmother said it and it was great. Anyway, I was looking up pictures for ideas of the beginning akuma and then I saw there is an upcoming episode called "Kwami Buster". I would like to warn you that I have not seen anything of season three… I have to watch episodes on Netflix (If you watch on youtube it doesn't support the show plus you don't know if it is the real order) so I have only seen the second half of season two.

"Dammit the shit!" Ladybug muttered as the latest akuma chucked her at Chat Noir. He was only barely able to catch her, but catch her he did all the same. Chat Noir started to laugh- who wouldn't?- and the akuma only made it worse. The akuma was Mrs. Mendeleev, who was annoyed that their class had to take lab safety (again! This had to have been the twentieth time, and Adrien was sure it would not be the last. To be honest, he was getting sick of it too). Her powers consisted of zapping Parisians with a glare from her glasses. They were completely immobilized, except for their faces.

While normally this would make him feel better, it only served to make Chat feel sick. They were in their school and so the students had been stopped in their tracks as they fled. Their faces could move and it wasn't just a frozen look of terror, but worried faces with tears streaming down and pooling at their feet- they could not move their hands to dry their eyes. To add to that, they were all reciting the lab safety rules.

"Safety First" had a tall, imposing figure and a harsh face. Her skin was now blue and her hair was made of fire. To "avoid execution" she had pulled the plug on the electricity in the building. Adrien hadn't had time to stop her because he had been transforming and escaping his class. He had to make up some lame excuse to tell Marinette because she was pushing classmates towards the exit. Ladybug had been even later than he had.

It ended with Ladybug using her lucky charm (which was a perfume bottle of _Adrien_ scent to freak their former teacher out about how close it was to her flaming hair and distract her as Chat broke her glasses) and a "pound it" as a goodbye.

On patrol that night, Chat Noir decided to break the silence.

"Dammit the shit, Ladybug, but-"

"Oh hush. You know what it's like to have to be a role model, I have to crack sometimes."

"Sometimes? What does that mean to you? _Always_ whispering curses under your breath?" Chat Noir laughed.

"Maybe it does," she joked back.

"Well, I think Parisians should find a better role model."

"Pray tell, like who?" Ladybug asked jokingly. She knew his answer, and yet she couldn't find it in herself to _not_ find out how this would play out.

"Me!"

"Oh shut up, you were already the main face of the Anti-drugs program last month." She was beyond glad they had approached him and not her. Their ads were.. Interesting. They probably didn't mean to, but with their directions they were making Chat monotone and lifeless. Thankfully, since Chat was Chat, he kept himself as a personality and also promoted the program well. She knew she would have fallen on her face (literally and figuratively) attempting that.

"Yeah, but you were the face of the pro-vaccination movement." While she very much agreed with the movement, the adults really didn't understand how to launch ad campaigns. They kept directing her to be so overly-enthusiastic and just… fake. While that should be expected, they tried to make her stiff and then overly friendly. With Chat acting as a therapist, she was able to get through it. Still, it was weird walking down the street and seeing so many posters of her. That must be how Adrien felt every day.

"And you were the main man of the underage drinking commercials." Marinette remembered being unable to suppress the giggles when Chat had to 'save' the actress from her car crash. There was nothing specifically funny about it- just seeing her partner and recalling all his stories about the set was hysterical.

"Don't even remind me. Brenda was like, out to mess it up. She- Ladybug, if you had been there you would not be laughing."

Now unable to suppress giggles and only laughing more at that last statement. Brenda was evidentially a nightmare, though she doubted the extent of some of the stories because Chat could be a drama queen. She only loved him all the more for it. Loved- well, no! Platonically. Of course. Duh. Platonic Chat. Romantic Adrien. There.

"I would say sorry but then I'd be lying." Chat let out a playful sigh, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Damnit the shit!" Mariette whispered to herself after she dropped her backpack. Adrien, who was just minding his own business and passing by, froze. Only one person was that good at coming up with that creative of curses. That phrase was especially unique to a certain someone. He looked at Marinette in surprise. She still looked like Marinette. She- she was Marinette. No, that conclusion- no. She couldn't be- she couldn't- _ladybug._ Adrien could barely even think the name.

That wasn't a logical conclusion. Marinette hid with their classmates during akuma attacks. While she was brave, she was shy. She wouldn't be able to so openly challenge akuma or deal with his flirting. No, she could barely take a small compliment about her designing- no way would she be able to handle everything Chat said to her.

And yet….

There had to be a way to prove it.

Adrien kept waiting for an akuma to strike. His classes ticked by, but seconds felt like minutes and the clock inched by. He watched it, foregoing his usual studiousness, instead favoring his imagination.

Was it possible he was right? Could Ladybug really sit behind him? When the class laughed at something the teacher had said, he took the chance to peek behind him.

She didn't notice him looking back, but instead was laughing and looking at Alya. Her face was so bright, and happy, and… she was just the essence of warmth. He had noticed before, but ignored it, because he knew his Lady was just as wonderful, if not more so to him. He'd always admired her- brave, smart, kind Marinette- but this gave her a whole new side. Everything meant so much more- every look, every touch and giggle-

Marinette blinked a few times, understanding that she did not have Alya's attention.

Alya was looking at- oh, shit. Alya had seen him. And if Alya knew, Nino would soon know too.

"Let the teasing begin," Adrien muttered. He knew he'd pay for it later, but he wasn't too upset.

Marinette was worth the world on her own, but as Ladybug too? She was a fucking solar system. She had always shone like the moon, but Ladybug was the sun, and together, as one person, they would be-

Oh, no. He'd already been through a poetry phase, and that wasn't too great.

But for her? Anything.

A bit of Adrien yelled at him to think a bit, Marinette couldn't be- wouldn't be his lady. She was Marinette- sweet Marinette, not badass Ladybug. Marinette could be a badass, yes, but like… ugh.

Adrien had to remind himself that he wasn't completely sure, despite what her cursing might suggest.

He started to turn back to see her again, to compare her face to Ladybug's, teasing from Nino and Alya be damned, when the akuma alarm went off. He couldn't help but sigh in relief.

But now, how to follow her? He turned to look for her, but the door was already closing- with a blur of pink disappearing outside.

He did the only thing he could- he ran after her like his life depended on it.

"Citizens of Paris," the akuma began- but Adrien couldn't hear or think, all he could do was follow the sound of her shoes slapping the floor, the blur of pink, how hard he had to try to keep up. She twisted and she turned, and when she looked behind herself she saw no one. Adrien was just around the corner, and when she turned he followed closer.

SHe looked back again. SHe saw no one. Again? No one.

This almost proved it. Her caution- it was something only someone with something to hide would have.

There was only one more thing he needed to confirm it-

"Tikki, spots on!"

He stood in awe as her suit materialized, as it covered her face and her limbs. He could only dumbly stare, too stupefied to move.

Even though he'd suspected, he was shocked.

And then she turned, and looked right at him.

"Dammit the shit- oh fuck- I- Adrien- um. I can explai-"

Plagg shot out of Adrien's pocket, slammed Adrien's jaw back in place, and glared, blocking Adrien's view.

"Transform, Adrien."

"Uh, um. Plagg, claws out!" Adrien's face grew warm as Plagg was sucked away, giving him an unobstructed view of his lady. Who was currently gaping.

"I… I-" she began.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir! There you are!" The akuma yelled.

So they went to battle. Through every jump and dodge, through every move, they watched each other.

And so, the akuma lasted longer. But the akuma was mostly forgotten in their eyes, who made eye contact every few moments. It was almost like a dance, intense and careful, but calculating and controlled.

But finally, they broke the hairclip and caught the butterfly. And then they came close to fist-bump.

They didn't. To any watcher, they just stared, moving once or twice, but still.

To the pair of them, each tilt of the head a question, each dart of the eyes a response.

And so it went on. The silent interrogation, quiet and disbelieving. Up until the moment Chat whispered it.

"I love you," and then he turned away, scared to see her face as he confessed, "I love you Ladybug, Marinette- whoever. I love _you._" He took a step before he heard the meek response.

"You too, Kitty. I love you."

When he looked behind him, she was looking at the ground.

"Hey, LB," he said, "look at me." She looked up, and now he noticed she was almost shaking. His ring let out a beep, simultaneous with hers. He took a step closer, and brought his face inches from hers.

"May-"he tried to say, but she stopped him. Her lips were so soft and warm. She tasted like a thousand different things- like sugar and chocolate and so many other things Adrien couldn't name.

But most of all, she tasted like home.

After they broke apart, both gasping, he remembered.

"Mari?" he whispered.

"Yes?" she replied, just as soft.

"We're going to be late to class."

"Dammit the shit."

If you noticed the mentions of commercials, I might write those as chapters under "Ad Campaigns" if anyone is interested.


End file.
